1973 in comics

Events and publications

Year overall

• Dell Comics, after 44 years in the comics business, ceases publication; a few of the company's former titles moved to Gold Key Comics.
• Archie Comics publisher John L. Goldwater licenses Archie for evangelical Christian messages; the comics are written and illustrated by Archie regular Al Hartley and published by Spire Christian Comics.
• Cartoonists Co-Op Press is founded by underground cartoonists Kim Deitch, Bill Griffith, Jerry Lane, Jay Lynch, Willy Murphy, Diane Noomin, and Art Spiegelman in San Francisco.
• In Diane Noomin's book Canarsie Creeps, her character DiDi Glitz makes her debut.
• Irjax Enterprises, a comic book distributor based in Rockville, Maryland, formed. Under the name New Media/Irjax, the company later expanded its distribution business and moved into publishing as well.
• Greek artist Vangelis Saitis starts working on the comic series Pepito Gonzales. He is only 14 years old when his work is published in the magazine Mikros Cow-Boy.

  January

• January 11: F'Murr publishes the first episode of Le Génie des Alpages in Pilote.
• January 3: Bamse's own comic book makes its debut.
• January 4: In Pilote the first chapter of the Astérix story Asterix in Corsica is published by Goscinny and Uderzo.
• January 25: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Lucky Luke story Le grand duc by Goscinny and Morris is published.
• Amazing Adventures #16 and Thor #207 present the Marvel portion of a metafictional unofficial crossover spanning titles from both major comics companies. The DC chapter appeared with a 1972 cover date. Each comic featured writers Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, and Len Wein, as well as Wein's first wife Glynis, interacting with Marvel or DC characters at the Rutland Halloween Parade in Rutland, Vermont. Beginning in Amazing Adventures #16, the story continued in Justice League of America #103, and concluded in Thor #207.
• Teen Titans, with issue #43, suspends publication.

  February

• February 4: The first episode of Dik Browne's Hägar the Horrible is published.
• February 24: The final episode of the biblical text comic Illustrated Sunday School Lesson is published, which ran since 1931.
• February 25: In Corriere dei Ragazzi, Gli aristocratici debuts, a gang of gentlemen thieves, created by Alfredo Castelli and Ferdinando Tacconi.
• Action Comics, with #421, Green Arrow became a backup feature, initially rotating with the Human Target and the Atom.
• Doom Patrol vol. 1, with issue #122, is revived by DC after being cancelled in 1968.
• Metal Men, with issue #42, is revived by DC after being cancelled in 1970.
• FOOM #1, Marvel's in-house fanzine

  March

• March 19: The first episode of Toon van Driel's long-running comic strip is published.
• Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky publish the first of many crossover comics, where they write and draw themselves and their supposed married lives.

  April

• April 5: In Pilote, the Blueberry story Le hors-la-loi, by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud is published.
• April 8: In Topolino, Paperinika e il filo di Arianna, by Guido Martina and Giorgio Cavazzano is published, which marks the debut of Super Daisy and her helper Genialina Edy Son.
• April 9: First issue of I quaderni del fumetto, reprints of Italian and American classic comics.
• April 12 : in Pilote, first chapter of Le hors la loi, by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud, introducing the Blueberry saga "The plot against Grant".
• April 17: The final episode of, Robert Hamilton and Richard Klokkers's Aafje Anders is published.
• In Pif Gadget, Leopardi by Hugo Pratt is published, the final episode of the Corto Maltese's "Ethiopic cicle".
• Specific date in April unknown: Dutch illustrator and comic artist Eppo Doeve is knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

  May

• May 8 : in Le journal de Tintin, first chapter of Enquête dans le passé by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet.
• May 23: Oğuz Aral's Avanak Avni makes its debut.
• Night Nurse, with issue #4, is cancelled by Marvel.
• In Brazil. Peninha em: Morcego Vermelho, by Ivan Saidenberg and Carlos Edgard Herrero; debut of Red Bat, super-heroic identity of Fethry Duck.

  June

• June 11: The first episode of Glupy by Juan Díaz Rodriguez is published.
• June 14: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Valérian and Laureline story Birds of the master, by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières is published
• June 25: The final episode of Quino's Mafalda is published.
• June 29: The final issue of the Spanish comics magazine En Patufet is published.
• Detective Comics, with issue #435 begins a bimonthly schedule.
• Doom Patrol vol 1., with issue #125, canceled by DC.
• "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" story arc begins in The Amazing Spider-Man #121, written by Gerry Conway, with art by Gil Kane.
• Crazy, with issue #3, canceled by Marvel.
• Number 0 of Undercomics, with the first episode of Cronache del dopobomba, dystopic comics by Bonvi, on texts by the songwriter Francesco Guccini. For the new magazine Silver realizes the first strips of Lupo Alberto.
• In Eureka, first chapter of Fouchè, un uomo nella rivoluzione by Max Bunker and Paolo Piffarerio.

  July

• July 20: The first episode of Howard Rands' newspaper gag comic Twitch appears in print. The series will run until 1997.
• World's Finest Comics #218: Metamorpho becomes the backup feature after a brief run in Action Comics
• First issue of the SF series UFO, by Renzo Barbieri and Vladimiro Missaglia, a virtual plagiarism of the TV series of the same name.

  August

• August 2: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Lucky Luke story L'Héritage de Rantanplan, by Goscinny and Morris is published.
• August 16: The final episode of René Goscinny and Jean Tabary's Valentin Le Vagabond is published in Pilote.
• Metal Men, with issue #44 goes on hiatus, to be revived in 1976.
• Shanna the She-Devil, with issue #5, is cancelled by Marvel.

  September

• September 16: In the Italian Disney magazine Topolino, Paperino spia , by Jerry Siegel and Romano Scarpa is published, in which Gyro Gearloose temporarily becomes a criminal.
• September 19: In Journal de Tintin, the first chapter of the Michel Vaillant story Cauchemar by Jean Graton is published.
• In Grim Wit Den by Richard Corben makes its debut.
• The final issue of the underground comix magazine Yellow Dog is published.

  October

• October 7: In Il Giornalino, Massimo Mattioli's Pinky makes its debut.
• October 15: In Le Nouvel Observateur, the first episode of Claire Bretécher's Les Frustrés is published. It will run until 1981.
• October 22: In Pif Gadget Milo Marat by Bonvi and Mario Gomboli make their debut, a parody of dime novel heroes.
• Detective Comics, with issue #437, is edited by Archie Goodwin, who in a back-up feature introduces a revival of the "Manhunter" feature with artist Walt Simonson.
• Strange Adventures, with issue #244, canceled by DC Comics.
• Archie Comics revives its Red Circle Comics superhero imprint, as Red Circle takes over Chilling Adventures in Sorcery as told by Sabrina with issue #3, changing its name to Chilling Adventures in Sorcery.
• Savage Tales, after a 17-month hiatus, resumes publishing with issue #2.
• Vampire Tales #2: The first appearance of Satana, drawn by John Romita
• Diavolinus, supplement to Linus, focused on the devil's theme; it contains, inter alia, the erotic fantasy Annalisa e il diavolo by Guido Buzzelli

  November

• Kull the Conqueror, with issue #11, changes its name to Kull the Destroyer.
• Marvel Feature, with issue #12, is canceled by Marvel.
• First issue of Cosmine, Italian sexy SF series, written by Silverio Pisu.

  December

• Millie the Model, with issue #207, canceled by Marvel.
• From Beyond the Unknown, with issue #25, canceled by DC.
• In Tintin selection, Le Trio maléfique by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet.

  Births

• January 25: Geoff Johns, American comic book writer and executive.

  Deaths

January

• January 10: Charles Flanders, American comics artist, dies at age 65.

  February

• February 10: Chester Sullivan, American comics artist, dies at age 74.
• February 27: Bill Everett, American comics artist, dies at age 55.

  March

• March 1: Elpidio Torres, Filipino comics artist, dies at age 47.
• March 4: Walt Ditzen, American comics artist, dies at age 58.
• March 14: Chic Young, American comics artist, dies at age 72.

  April

• April 8: Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor, dies at age 91.
• April 10: Robert Collard, aka Lortac, French writer, caricaturist, comics writer and artist, illustrator, novelist, painter, art critic, animator, animated film director, dies at age 88.

  May

• May 3: Jean Bosc, A.K.A. Bosc, French editorial cartoonist and animator, commits suicide at age 48.
• May 13: Hans Brasch, German painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 91.
• May 21: Yuliy Ganf, Ukrainian cartoonist, painter and illustrator, dies at age 74.
• May 26: Coulton Waugh, American comics artist, dies at age 77.